Building control systems encompass a wide variety of systems that aid in the monitoring and control of various aspects of building operation. Building control systems (which may also be referred to herein as “building automation systems”) include security systems, fire safety systems, lighting systems, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systems. Lighting systems and HVAC systems are sometimes referred to as “environmental control systems” because these systems control the environmental conditions within the building. A single facility may include multiple building automation systems (e.g., a security system, a fire system and an environmental control system). Multiple building automation systems may be arranged separate from one another or as a single system with plurality of subsystems that are controlled by a common control station.
The elements of a building automation system are widely dispersed throughout a facility. For example, an HVAC system includes temperature sensors and ventilation damper controls as well as other elements that are located in virtually every area of a facility. Similarly, a security system may have intrusion detection, motion sensors and alarm actuators dispersed throughout an entire building or campus. Likewise, fire safety systems include smoke alarms and pull stations dispersed throughout the facility. To achieve efficient and effective building automation system operation, there is a need to monitor the operation of, and often communicate with, the various dispersed elements of a building automation system.
Building automation systems typically have one or more centralized control stations in which data from the system may be monitored, and in which various aspects of system operation may be controlled and/or monitored. The control station typically includes a computer having processing equipment, data storage equipment, and a user interface. To allow for monitoring and control of the dispersed control system elements, building automation systems often employ multi-level communication networks to communicate operational and/or alarm information between operating elements, such as sensors and actuators, and the centralized control station.
One example of a building automation system control station is the Apogee® Insight® Workstation, available from Siemens Industry, Inc. Building Technologies Division of Buffalo Grove, Ill. (“Siemens”), which may be used with the model Apogee® building automation system, also available from Siemens. In this system, several control stations connected via an Ethernet or another type of network may be distributed throughout one or more building locations, each having the ability to monitor and control system operation.
The typical building automation system (including those utilizing the Apogee® Insight® Workstation) has a plurality of field panels that are in communication with the central control station. While the central control station is generally used to make modifications and/or changes to one or more of the various components of the building automation system, a field panel may also be operative to allow certain modifications and/or changes to one or more parameters of the system. This typically includes parameters such as temperature and otherwise, set port changes, modify a control program, or the like.
The central control station and field panels are in communication with various field devices, otherwise known as “points”. Field devices are typically in communication with field panels of building automation systems and are operative to measure, monitor, and/or control various building automation system parameters. Example field devices include lights, thermostats, damper actuators, alarms, HVAC devices, sprinkler systems, speakers, door locks, and numerous other field devices as will be recognized by those of skill in the art. The field devices receive control signals from the central control station and/or field panels. Accordingly, building automation systems are able to control various aspects of building operation by controlling the field devices.
Large commercial and industrial facilities have numerous field devices that are used for environmental control purposes. These field devices may be referred to herein as “environmental control devices”. The large number of environmental control devices in these facilities will consume significant amounts of energy. Building automation systems are useful in reducing energy consumption in these facilities by automatically controlling lights and HVAC components at different times during the day. While existing building automation systems are useful in reducing energy consumption in large facilities, additional devices and processes in such systems would be welcomed if they could further reduce energy consumption in such facilities. In addition, it would be advantageous if such improvements in building automation systems could make the environmental conditions even better for individuals within the facility.